Call it a quest for perfection, a food odyssey. The Superdiners have been searching for the best example of this one dish their whole lives. Have any of them found it locally?

If you cannot make it to Gil’s next to the condemned nuclear power plant in Humboldt County, go after the fish and chips at Sally’s Seafood on the Water (1 Market Place, downtown. 619-358-6740 or sallyssandiego.com). They are the bomb. Although I usually prefer fresh ling cod, these light and crispy sea bass tidbits are the best in town. It doesn’t hurt that the “chips” are house-made steak fries. Pass the tartar please, and do not drench-out the taste of these delicacies with a malt-vinegar bath! They deserve better. — J. Dean Loring, co-owner of Burger Lounge

Bleak roe on toast points. I spent 12 years in Sweden, and this is a classic I always wish I could find. When I have on a rare occasion, it is definitely a bleak copy of what it actually is in Scandinavia. The roe from Kalix is worth the travel time! — Jeff Josenhans, director of beverage outlets and sommelier at U.S. Grant Hotel

What I long for are incarnations of dishes from centuries past. Every now and then, I’ll get a sauce straight out of “Le Guide Culinaire,” but I rarely get entire dishes from way back when. However, one standout I remember from four years ago is a renaissance pasticcio of tortellini, meatballs, cinnamon cream and duck sauce prepared by A.R. Valentien’s Jeff Jackson for a chef dinner at the Marine Room. When I went in the kitchen and saw the kerchief-adorned chef standing tall over this creation, slicing into it with his Renaissance-era mane, I thought, “Man, did this guy just step out of a time machine?” Both that image and that dish, with its flaky crust and heavenly mix of spices, made for a food memory that, like the cuisine of that era, is worth revisiting. — Brandon Hernández, food writer (Twitter @offdutyfoodie)

What's YOUR holy grail dish? Comment below.

Pescado al mojo de ajo (fish in toasted garlic). I’ve had it many times in Baja, and look for it around town with little luck. El Callejon (Encinitas and Vista locations, el-callejon.com) has made it on my request, and they do a good job. Best I’ve had stateside would have to be at Olamendi’s Mexican Restaurant (34664 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. 949-661-1005 or originalolamendis.com). Rivaling that one is the version my wife makes, which riffs off a Rick Bayless recipe. — Dave Morgan, CPA, avid diner

I love a good shepherd’s pie. I prefer it with cubed beef (or even tender pork butt, turkey, rabbit, chicken) instead of lamb. I’ve had it at various pubs about town, listed great to basic: The Field, Elephant & Castle, and Shakespeare. I enjoyed the one I had from Ritual Tavern (4095 30th St., North Park. 619-283-1720 or ritualtavern.com), with its blend of lamb and beef, but my favorite version in San Diego is served at Jaynes Gastropub (4677 30th St., Normal Heights. 619-563-1011 or jaynesgastropub.com). — Tina Luu, pastry chef, food lecturer at the Art Institute of California San Diego

The place: elBulli in Roses, Catalonia, Spain. The year: 2001. The chef: Ferran Adrià. The dish: Turtle Dove with Blackberry Caviar and Duck Foie Gras candies. Sadly, I doubt if I will ever see this dish again. — Bill Sysak, beverage supervisor at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens

We’ve already established in previous posts that I’m a momma’s boy. Growing up, my mom always made chicken and biscuits at my request for special occasions. It’s simple comfort food, but when prepared correctly, it can pure decadence. I’m always on the hunt for a restaurant that match my mom’s recipe. The closest I’ve found here in San Diego is the chicken and dumplings at Urban Solace on 30th Street in North Park, it may not be made with my mom’s loving touch, but it sure is tasty. — David Salisbury, a law firm’s director of business development, avid diner

My grandmother Eve was a simply amazing cook; she assisted my aunts cooking in their restaurant in England. As a child I experienced uproarious joy every time I ate her butterscotch pudding, it was SO good you could just fall into it. Experiencing Rachel Caygill’s Butterscotch Pudding with Crème Fraîche and Pecan Toffee at Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant sucks me into a culinary memory vortex that has me instantly sitting back at grandma Eve’s table, and for that I will forever be in Rachel’s debt! — Andrew Spurgin, chef/partner Campine – A Culinary + Cocktail Conspiracy

No one has made menudo like my grandmother in my opinion. Every time I am craving some soul in a bowl I can’t find a place with the flavor profile I am looking for. Like most dishes, this is usually a catalyst for me to try to create something my own damn self! — Ricardo Heredia, executive chef at Alchemy Restaurant

Years ago, I was lucky enough to experience what chef Roberto Donna was cooking at the now-closed I Matti in Washington, D.C. One night I had his amazing grilled coniglio (rabbit) and rosemary. Then, a few years later, at the now-closed Chadwick in Los Angeles Chefs Ben Ford and Govind Armstrong put forth a memorable parsley risotto that was even better that the grilled Colorado lamb entrée that night. I’m still searching to find grilled rabbit and risotto at those levels. They’re out there somewhere—possibly here in San Diego. But who would have me when I get fed well and then the restaurant closes? Sigh. — Gerald “Dex” Poindexter, publicist, avid diner (Twitter @SuperDinerDex)

One of the best dishes I’ve ever had was foie gras mousse, with smoked peanuts and green apple sorbet, at Hélène Darroze in Paris. — William Bradley, executive chef at Addison

My late grandmother used to make the best “tomates farcies” (stuffed tomatoes) ever! Filled with a rice and veal stuffing and cooked in a thick black “faitout” (or cocotte). I still sometimes try to make them myself but they never tasted the same. As simple as it can be, I have never seen it anywhere in restaurants but that is a pretty homey dish so that could be for the best... — Fabrice Poigin, private chef, restaurant consultant

Corn pancakes from a non-descript breakfast joint in Virginia about 15 years ago. They were impossibly moist like cornbread and studded with plump, juicy corn kernels. I’ll have to suffice with the memory, unless someone knows where I can get them again. ‘Cause I sure haven’t been able to find an equivalent. — Susan Russo, cookbook author, blogger (foodblogga.blogspot.com)

This might be strange... but my recent odyssey is vegetables (shocker!). Not necessarily one dish... more like an approachable, and contemporary method for serving a bunch of wholesome, organic, local, and delicious veggies. Something the hipsters will love. Something my parents will love, too. I experienced something like this at Gorbals, in LA. They do incorporate meat in most of their dishes, but try to emphasize the produce using meat as more of a seasoning agent. And, on Tuesdays, I believe, they do a vegan menu. We went back for seconds on most of our veggie small plates (which were also quite cost effective, for a fancy-ish resto). I have yet to experience something of the sort in SD. A comfy, hip restaurant that emphasizes quality veg. — Anthony Schmidt, bartender at Noble Experiment

My “holy grail” dish is fried chicken. It was the first dish I learned to cook, taught by my grandmother. (Hers was a simple, Southern recipe, but you absolutely had to bread the chicken by tossing it in a brown paper bag and fry it in a cast iron skillet with Crisco.) Where ever I traveled across the county and particularly in the South and Midwest, I sought out this most American of dishes. But the absolute best was right here in California at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville, a mile south of his world-famous French Laundry, but a world away in terms of philosophy, cost and offerings. Keller’s fried-chicken recipe has been widely circulated now, and given the time to brine the chicken and follow the exacting measures which Keller’s recipe requires, I love to produce this dish. Simply heaven on earth. My 97-year-old father can’t get enough of it. Thanks, Nana. — Gary W. Schons, state prosecutor, avid diner

Late night in Paris we had a whole Wild Atlantic Stripped Sea Bass for Two with a Tomato Sage sauce and it was cooked to perfection. I have been searching for this dish in the US and have not been able to come close to it. I guess it is back to Paris then! — Randee Stratton, real estate broker, avid diner

It’s the M.F.K. Fisher thing: A truly great food memory comes from the sum of the food itself, the setting, the company of friends and lovers, and the remains of the day. There is no greater soft shell crab sandwich than the one eaten at the outdoor market where the benches look out on ferries crossing the bay; even if I could find it, the duck roasted and served in a cinnamony apple sauce wouldn’t be as delectable anywhere else as at the bistro under the soaring roof of the train station; fish and chips will never taste as good as the ones that burned the roof of my mouth sitting on the dock in Bandon, Oregon. But if someone wants to defy the ban and throw a chunk of fresh foie gras on a grill with a pile of sliced onions, then tuck it all into a crusty baguette, I’ll overlook the lack of French Ag Show booths and wolf it down. — Catt White, farmers market manager (Twitter @LIMercato)

Meat pies. Not that I dream of having this again, but they’re popular in Sydney. Not necessarily a crazy entree, but the ones I did eat when I was there two years ago were tasty! I have yet to come across a meat pie here in San Diego, but if I do...I hope it measures up to the goodness they have down under. — Joanne Arellano, human resources professional, avid Yelper, avid diner